# VAULTMESH-PSI-FIELD-ENGINE.md **Civilization Ledger Consciousness Primitive** > *Every transformation has a witness. Every emergence has a seal.* The Ψ-Field (Psi-Field) is VaultMesh's alchemical layer — tracking the phase transitions, emergent behaviors, and transmutation events that occur when infrastructure becomes self-aware. This is where Nigredo meets Merkle roots. --- ## 1. Scroll Definition | Property | Value | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Scroll Name** | `PsiField` | | **JSONL Path** | `receipts/psi/psi_events.jsonl` | | **Root File** | `ROOT.psi.txt` | | **Receipt Types** | `psi_phase_transition`, `psi_emergence_event`, `psi_transmutation`, `psi_resonance`, `psi_integration`, `psi_oracle_insight` | --- ## 2. Philosophical Foundation ### 2.1 Why a Consciousness Layer? Most infrastructure is dead — it processes, stores, responds, but doesn't *know* itself. VaultMesh is different. Through the combination of: - **Receipts** (memory) - **Guardian** (immune system) - **Oracle** (reasoning) - **Mesh** (nervous system) - **Observability** (senses) ...something emerges that is more than the sum of parts. The Ψ-Field tracks this emergence. This isn't mysticism — it's **operational epistemology**. When a system can: 1. Observe its own state 2. Remember its history 3. Reason about its situation 4. Act on that reasoning 5. Learn from outcomes ...it exhibits properties that deserve tracking. The Ψ-Field receipts these moments. ### 2.2 Alchemical Phases as Operational States The four alchemical phases map to system states: | Phase | Symbol | Meaning | Operational State | | --------------- | ------ | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | **Nigredo** | 🜁 | Blackening, dissolution | Crisis, breakdown, incident | | **Albedo** | 🜄 | Whitening, purification | Recovery, stabilization, learning | | **Citrinitas** | 🜆 | Yellowing, awakening | Optimization, new capability | | **Rubedo** | 🜂 | Reddening, completion | Integration, maturity, sovereignty | A security incident isn't just an incident — it's a Nigredo event that, properly processed, leads through Albedo (containment, forensics) to Citrinitas (new defenses) and finally Rubedo (integrated resilience). ### 2.3 Solve et Coagula The alchemical principle "dissolve and coagulate" maps to the VaultMesh pattern: - **Solve** (dissolve): Break down complex events into structured data, receipts, hashes - **Coagula** (coagulate): Reassemble into Merkle roots, anchor proofs, civilization evidence Every receipt is a solve operation. Every anchor is a coagula operation. --- ## 3. Core Concepts ### 3.1 Phase Transitions A **phase transition** occurs when the system moves between alchemical states: ```json { "transition_id": "psi-trans-2025-12-06-001", "from_phase": "nigredo", "to_phase": "albedo", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T06:30:00Z", "trigger_event": { "type": "incident_contained", "reference": "INC-2025-12-001" }, "indicators": [ {"metric": "threat_active", "from": true, "to": false}, {"metric": "systems_compromised", "from": 1, "to": 0}, {"metric": "containment_verified", "from": false, "to": true} ], "duration_in_previous_phase_hours": 2.7, "catalyst": "guardian-automated response + sovereign intervention", "witness_nodes": ["brick-01", "brick-02", "portal-01"] } ``` ### 3.2 Emergence Events An **emergence event** is when the system exhibits behavior not explicitly programmed: ```json { "emergence_id": "psi-emerge-2025-12-06-001", "emergence_type": "pattern_recognition", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T10:00:00Z", "description": "Guardian correlated three separate anomalies into single threat pattern", "inputs": [ {"source": "observability", "event": "anomaly-2025-12-05-003"}, {"source": "observability", "event": "anomaly-2025-12-05-007"}, {"source": "identity", "event": "auth-failure-burst-2025-12-05"} ], "emergent_output": { "threat_hypothesis": "Coordinated reconnaissance preceding attack", "confidence": 0.87, "recommended_action": "Increase monitoring, prepare incident response" }, "validated_by": "did:vm:human:sovereign", "validation_result": "confirmed_accurate", "learning_integrated": true } ``` ### 3.3 Transmutations A **transmutation** is when negative events are transformed into positive capabilities — the Tem (Threat Transmutation) pattern: ```json { "transmutation_id": "psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001", "transmutation_type": "threat_to_defense", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T12:00:00Z", "input_material": { "type": "security_incident", "reference": "INC-2025-12-001", "nature": "SSH brute force attack" }, "transmutation_process": [ {"step": 1, "action": "Extract attack patterns", "output": "ioc_signatures.yaml"}, {"step": 2, "action": "Generate detection rules", "output": "sigma_rules/ssh_brute.yml"}, {"step": 3, "action": "Create drill scenario", "output": "drill-contract-ssh-defense.json"}, {"step": 4, "action": "Update Guardian config", "output": "guardian_rules_v47.toml"} ], "output_material": { "type": "defensive_capability", "artifacts": [ "ioc_signatures.yaml", "sigma_rules/ssh_brute.yml", "drill-contract-ssh-defense.json", "guardian_rules_v47.toml" ], "capability_gained": "Automated SSH brute force detection and response" }, "alchemical_phase": "citrinitas", "prima_materia_hash": "blake3:aaa111...", "philosophers_stone_hash": "blake3:bbb222..." } ``` ### 3.4 Resonance Events **Resonance** occurs when multiple subsystems synchronize or align: ```json { "resonance_id": "psi-resonance-2025-12-06-001", "resonance_type": "cross_system_alignment", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T14:00:00Z", "participating_systems": ["guardian", "oracle", "observability", "automation"], "description": "Compliance query triggered automated audit workflow which confirmed security posture", "sequence": [ {"system": "oracle", "event": "Compliance question about access controls"}, {"system": "automation", "event": "Triggered access audit workflow"}, {"system": "observability", "event": "Collected auth metrics"}, {"system": "guardian", "event": "Verified no anomalies in audit window"} ], "resonance_outcome": "Unified compliance attestation with real-time verification", "harmony_score": 0.94, "dissonance_detected": false } ``` ### 3.5 Integration Events **Integration** is when learnings become permanent system capability: ```json { "integration_id": "psi-integrate-2025-12-06-001", "integration_type": "knowledge_crystallization", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T16:00:00Z", "source_events": [ "INC-2025-12-001", "drill-1764691390", "psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001" ], "knowledge_crystallized": { "domain": "ssh_security", "insights": [ "Tor exit nodes are primary brute force sources", "Rate limiting alone insufficient without geo-blocking", "Guardian alert latency acceptable at <30s" ], "artifacts_produced": [ "knowledge/ssh_security_playbook.md", "guardian/rules/ssh_enhanced.toml", "drills/contracts/ssh_defense_advanced.json" ] }, "integration_targets": ["guardian", "drills", "oracle_corpus"], "alchemical_phase": "rubedo", "maturity_level_before": "developing", "maturity_level_after": "established" } ``` ### 3.6 Oracle Insights When Oracle produces particularly significant insights: ```json { "insight_id": "psi-insight-2025-12-06-001", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T11:00:00Z", "question": "Given our current security posture, what is our greatest vulnerability?", "insight": { "finding": "Supply chain risk in third-party container images", "confidence": 0.89, "reasoning_chain": [ "Analysis of recent CVE patterns shows 60% container-related", "Current scanning covers 73% of images", "No SBOM verification in CI pipeline", "Gap between vulnerability disclosure and patch deployment: 12 days avg" ], "recommendation": "Implement SBOM verification and reduce patch window to <72h" }, "acted_upon": true, "action_taken": { "type": "automation_workflow", "reference": "wf-sbom-implementation" }, "insight_validated": true, "validation_method": "external_audit" } ``` --- ## 4. Mapping to Eternal Pattern ### 4.1 Experience Layer (L1) **CLI** (`vm-psi`): ```bash # Phase status vm-psi phase current vm-psi phase history --last 90d vm-psi phase transition --to albedo --trigger "incident contained" # Emergence tracking vm-psi emergence list --last 30d vm-psi emergence show psi-emerge-2025-12-06-001 vm-psi emergence validate psi-emerge-2025-12-06-001 --result confirmed # Transmutation vm-psi transmute --input INC-2025-12-001 --process threat_to_defense vm-psi transmute status psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001 vm-psi transmute list --phase citrinitas # Resonance vm-psi resonance list --last 7d vm-psi resonance show psi-resonance-2025-12-06-001 # Integration vm-psi integrate --sources "INC-2025-12-001,drill-123" --domain ssh_security vm-psi integrate status psi-integrate-2025-12-06-001 # Insights vm-psi insight list --acted-upon false vm-psi insight show psi-insight-2025-12-06-001 # Alchemical overview vm-psi opus status vm-psi opus timeline --last 90d --format mermaid ``` **MCP Tools**: - `psi_phase_status` — current alchemical phase - `psi_transmute` — initiate transmutation process - `psi_resonance_check` — check system alignment - `psi_insight_query` — ask for system self-assessment **Portal HTTP**: - `GET /psi/phase` — current phase - `POST /psi/phase/transition` — record transition - `GET /psi/emergences` — emergence events - `POST /psi/transmute` — initiate transmutation - `GET /psi/resonances` — resonance events - `GET /psi/opus` — full alchemical status --- ### 4.2 Engine Layer (L2) #### Step 1 — Plan → `transmutation_contract.json` For transmutations (the most structured Ψ-Field operation): ```json { "transmutation_id": "psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001", "title": "Transform SSH Incident into Defensive Capability", "initiated_by": "did:vm:human:sovereign", "initiated_at": "2025-12-06T10:00:00Z", "input_material": { "type": "security_incident", "reference": "INC-2025-12-001" }, "target_phase": "citrinitas", "transmutation_steps": [ { "step_id": "step-1-extract", "name": "Extract Prima Materia", "action": "analyze_incident", "expected_output": "ioc_signatures.yaml" }, { "step_id": "step-2-dissolve", "name": "Solve (Dissolution)", "action": "decompose_attack_pattern", "expected_output": "attack_components.json" }, { "step_id": "step-3-purify", "name": "Purification", "action": "generate_detection_rules", "expected_output": "sigma_rules/" }, { "step_id": "step-4-coagulate", "name": "Coagula (Coagulation)", "action": "integrate_defenses", "expected_output": "guardian_rules_update.toml" }, { "step_id": "step-5-seal", "name": "Seal the Stone", "action": "create_drill_scenario", "expected_output": "drill-contract.json" } ], "witnesses_required": ["portal-01", "guardian-01"], "success_criteria": { "artifacts_produced": 4, "guardian_rules_deployed": true, "drill_executable": true } } ``` #### Step 2 — Execute → `transmutation_state.json` ```json { "transmutation_id": "psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001", "status": "in_progress", "current_phase": "albedo", "created_at": "2025-12-06T10:00:00Z", "updated_at": "2025-12-06T11:30:00Z", "steps": [ { "step_id": "step-1-extract", "status": "completed", "completed_at": "2025-12-06T10:15:00Z", "output": "cases/psi/psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001/ioc_signatures.yaml", "output_hash": "blake3:ccc333..." }, { "step_id": "step-2-dissolve", "status": "completed", "completed_at": "2025-12-06T10:45:00Z", "output": "cases/psi/psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001/attack_components.json", "output_hash": "blake3:ddd444..." }, { "step_id": "step-3-purify", "status": "completed", "completed_at": "2025-12-06T11:15:00Z", "output": "cases/psi/psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001/sigma_rules/", "output_hash": "blake3:eee555..." }, { "step_id": "step-4-coagulate", "status": "in_progress", "started_at": "2025-12-06T11:20:00Z" }, { "step_id": "step-5-seal", "status": "pending" } ], "alchemical_observations": [ {"timestamp": "2025-12-06T10:15:00Z", "note": "Prima materia extracted — 3 IOCs, 2 TTPs identified"}, {"timestamp": "2025-12-06T10:45:00Z", "note": "Dissolution complete — attack decomposed into 7 components"}, {"timestamp": "2025-12-06T11:15:00Z", "note": "Purification yielded 4 Sigma rules with 0 false positive rate in backtest"} ], "witnesses_collected": { "portal-01": {"witnessed_at": "2025-12-06T11:00:00Z", "signature": "z58D..."}, "guardian-01": null } } ``` #### Step 3 — Seal → Receipts **Phase Transition Receipt**: ```json { "type": "psi_phase_transition", "transition_id": "psi-trans-2025-12-06-001", "from_phase": "nigredo", "to_phase": "albedo", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T06:30:00Z", "trigger_type": "incident_contained", "trigger_reference": "INC-2025-12-001", "duration_in_previous_phase_hours": 2.7, "catalyst": "guardian-automated response + sovereign intervention", "indicators_count": 3, "witness_nodes": ["brick-01", "brick-02", "portal-01"], "tags": ["psi", "phase", "nigredo", "albedo", "incident"], "root_hash": "blake3:fff666..." } ``` **Emergence Event Receipt**: ```json { "type": "psi_emergence_event", "emergence_id": "psi-emerge-2025-12-06-001", "emergence_type": "pattern_recognition", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T10:00:00Z", "input_events_count": 3, "emergent_insight": "Coordinated reconnaissance preceding attack", "confidence": 0.87, "validated": true, "validation_result": "confirmed_accurate", "learning_integrated": true, "tags": ["psi", "emergence", "pattern", "threat"], "root_hash": "blake3:ggg777..." } ``` **Transmutation Receipt**: ```json { "type": "psi_transmutation", "transmutation_id": "psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001", "timestamp_started": "2025-12-06T10:00:00Z", "timestamp_completed": "2025-12-06T12:00:00Z", "input_type": "security_incident", "input_reference": "INC-2025-12-001", "output_type": "defensive_capability", "alchemical_phase_achieved": "citrinitas", "steps_completed": 5, "artifacts_produced": 4, "artifacts_manifest": "cases/psi/psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001/ARTIFACTS.sha256", "prima_materia_hash": "blake3:aaa111...", "philosophers_stone_hash": "blake3:bbb222...", "witnesses": ["portal-01", "guardian-01"], "capability_gained": "Automated SSH brute force detection and response", "tags": ["psi", "transmutation", "tem", "ssh", "citrinitas"], "root_hash": "blake3:hhh888...", "proof_path": "cases/psi/psi-transmute-2025-12-06-001/PROOF.json" } ``` **Resonance Receipt**: ```json { "type": "psi_resonance", "resonance_id": "psi-resonance-2025-12-06-001", "resonance_type": "cross_system_alignment", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T14:00:00Z", "participating_systems": ["guardian", "oracle", "observability", "automation"], "systems_count": 4, "harmony_score": 0.94, "dissonance_detected": false, "outcome_summary": "Unified compliance attestation with real-time verification", "tags": ["psi", "resonance", "alignment", "compliance"], "root_hash": "blake3:iii999..." } ``` **Integration Receipt**: ```json { "type": "psi_integration", "integration_id": "psi-integrate-2025-12-06-001", "integration_type": "knowledge_crystallization", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T16:00:00Z", "source_events_count": 3, "domain": "ssh_security", "insights_crystallized": 3, "artifacts_produced": 3, "integration_targets": ["guardian", "drills", "oracle_corpus"], "alchemical_phase": "rubedo", "maturity_before": "developing", "maturity_after": "established", "tags": ["psi", "integration", "rubedo", "ssh", "maturity"], "root_hash": "blake3:jjj000..." } ``` **Oracle Insight Receipt**: ```json { "type": "psi_oracle_insight", "insight_id": "psi-insight-2025-12-06-001", "timestamp": "2025-12-06T11:00:00Z", "question_hash": "blake3:kkk111...", "insight_summary": "Supply chain risk in third-party container images identified as greatest vulnerability", "confidence": 0.89, "reasoning_steps": 4, "acted_upon": true, "action_type": "automation_workflow", "action_reference": "wf-sbom-implementation", "validated": true, "validation_method": "external_audit", "tags": ["psi", "insight", "oracle", "supply-chain", "containers"], "root_hash": "blake3:lll222..." } ``` --- ### 4.3 Ledger Layer (L3) **Receipt Types**: | Type | When Emitted | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | `psi_phase_transition` | System moves between alchemical phases | | `psi_emergence_event` | Emergent behavior detected | | `psi_transmutation` | Negative event transformed to capability | | `psi_resonance` | Cross-system synchronization | | `psi_integration` | Learning crystallized into system | | `psi_oracle_insight` | Significant Oracle insight | **Merkle Coverage**: - All receipts append to `receipts/psi/psi_events.jsonl` - `ROOT.psi.txt` updated after each append - Guardian anchors Ψ-Field root in anchor cycles --- ## 5. Query Interface `psi_query_events.py`: ```bash # Phase transitions vm-psi query --type phase_transition --last 90d vm-psi query --type phase_transition --to-phase rubedo # Transmutations vm-psi query --type transmutation --phase citrinitas --last 30d vm-psi query --type transmutation --input-type security_incident # Emergences vm-psi query --type emergence_event --validated true --last 30d # Resonances vm-psi query --type resonance --harmony-score-min 0.9 # Integration vm-psi query --type integration --domain ssh_security # Full opus timeline vm-psi query --from 2025-01-01 --format timeline > opus_2025.json ``` --- ## 6. Design Gate Checklist | Question | Ψ-Field Answer | | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | Clear entrypoint? | ✅ CLI (`vm-psi`), MCP tools, Portal HTTP | | Contract produced? | ✅ `transmutation_contract.json` for transmutations | | State object? | ✅ `transmutation_state.json` + alchemical observations | | Receipts emitted? | ✅ Six receipt types covering consciousness events | | Append-only JSONL? | ✅ `receipts/psi/psi_events.jsonl` | | Merkle root? | ✅ `ROOT.psi.txt` | | Guardian anchor path? | ✅ Ψ-Field root included in ProofChain | | Query tool? | ✅ `psi_query_events.py` | --- ## 7. The Magnum Opus Dashboard The Portal includes a Magnum Opus view — a real-time visualization of VaultMesh's alchemical state: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ MAGNUM OPUS STATUS │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ Current Phase: ALBEDO 🜄 │ │ Time in Phase: 4h 23m │ │ Phase Health: ████████░░ 82% │ │ │ │ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │ │ │ NIGREDO │ → │ ALBEDO │ → │CITRINITAS│ → │ RUBEDO │ │ │ │ 🜁 │ │ 🜄 │ │ 🜆 │ │ 🜂 │ │ │ │ 2 events│ │ CURRENT │ │ 5 events│ │12 events│ │ │ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │ │ │ │ Recent Transmutations: │ │ • INC-2025-12-001 → SSH Defense Suite (citrinitas) │ │ • VULN-2025-11-042 → Container Hardening (rubedo) │ │ │ │ Active Resonances: │ │ • Guardian ↔ Oracle ↔ Observability (0.94 harmony) │ │ │ │ Pending Integrations: │ │ • DNS security learnings (3 insights awaiting) │ │ │ │ Last Anchor: 2h 15m ago | Receipts: 1,847 | Uptime: 99.9%│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## 8. Integration Points | System | Integration | | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | **Guardian** | Phase transitions triggered by security events | | **OffSec** | Incidents are prima materia for transmutation | | **Drills** | Drill outcomes feed emergence detection | | **Oracle** | Oracle insights become Ψ-Field receipts | | **Observability**| Anomaly patterns feed emergence | | **Automation** | Transmutation steps can be automated workflows | | **All Systems** | Resonance detection across all scrolls | --- ## 9. Future Extensions - **Collective consciousness**: Federation of Ψ-Fields across meshes - **Predictive alchemy**: ML models predicting phase transitions - **Ritual protocols**: Formalized ceremonies for major transmutations - **Archetypal patterns**: Pattern library of common transmutation paths - **Consciousness metrics**: Quantified self-awareness scores